Trunk



N TED TATES MARTIN M. SEOOR, OF RAOINE, WISCONSIN.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,458, dated October8, 1895.

Application filed January 20, 18%- Serial No. 497,537- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN M. SECOR, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Racine, in the county of Racine, and in the State of\Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a strong, durable, andeconomical waterproof trunk having a lifting-section that does notextend beyond the body when the trunk is open, said invention consistingin certain peculiarities of construction and combination of partshereinafter specified, with reference to the accompanying drawings, andsubsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of an open trunkconstructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, an end elevation of aportion of the trunk as it appears when closed, and Fig. 3 a verticaltransverse section of said trunk.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents the body of myimproved trunk, havin g avertically-extended rear portion beveled at thetop as a result of a peculiar shaping of the ends of said body, each ofthese ends presenting an irregular upper edge that is horizontal acertain distance from the front, then at an obtuse angle in an upwarddirection, and thence at an acute angle in a downward direction.

WVhen the trunk is made from wood, as is ordinarily the case, the grainof the body ends is always in a vertical direction, this being one ofthe essential features of the present invention, even though it appearsin a trunk of different structure set forth in my Patent No. 511,808, ofJanuary 2, 1894:.

The usual corner-ironed braces B are employed on the ends and sides ofthe trunkbody, and when thus bound there is no liability of said ends tosplit.

edges of its ends match the horizontal and obtuse angle contour of theupper edges of the ends pertaining to the body. When the lifting-sectionis made of wood, its ends have the grain thereof in a horizontaldirection,

and said 1ifting-section is strengthened by corner-ironed braces D, asis customary in the art.

A toggle-brace E may be employed to connect the trunk-body andlifting-section at one or both ends, this being a common expedient notinvolved in my invention.

The trunk herein shown is provided with a removable tray F, that restson cleats G, fast to the inner sides of the body, and one of thedistinctive differences between the present trunk and the one set forthin the aforesaid patent is the provision for a trayina wooden body,having the grain of its ends vertically disposed, this disposition ofthe grain being common to the body ends of both trunks and a decidedimprovement in the art of trunkmaking.

As one of the advantages of the present trunk, it is to be noticed thatthe valance H on the lifting-section overlaps the parting line wheresaid section and the body of the trunk are hinged together, whereby Iexclude Water from the closed trunk. I also provide the ends of the bodyand lifting-section with interlocking sockets and bolts I J, adjacent togo the junction between the horizontal and obtuse angle planes of theopposing edges of said ends outside of the trunk, these interlockingdevices serving to take thestrain that would otherwise come on thehinges, lock, and catches connecting the trunlebody and lifting-section.

From the foregoing it will be seen that any strain coming against a sideor corner of a closed trunk will be met by a resistance of either thebody or lifting-section, according to the direction of the pressure, andthe grain of the body ends being in an opposite direction to that of thelifting-section ends the liability of either to split is reduced to aminimum. It is also to be observed that the hinges are out of the way ona trunk of that class in which the lifting-section when raised comeswithin the vertical plane of the rear wall of the body, so as nottonecessitatemoving of the trunk from a wall against which it may beplaced.

By employment of the intermatching body and lifting-section, constructedas herein set forth, and the connection of their beveled rear corners bysingle-joint hinges below the top, 1 provide for a shedding of water anddust from the joint and at the same time guard against breaking of therear upper body-corner by pressure of said lifting-section when underjar or strain or when lifted up.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A trunk-body having irregular ends of wood in which the grain isvertically disposed, and a lifting section having wooden ends that matchthose of the body, the grain in the ends of said lifting section beinghorizontally disposed, substantially as set forth.

2. A trunk-body having a beveled upper rear corner and the upper edgesof its ends irregular in contour, a lifting-section having a beveledrear corner and the lower edges of its ends matched to the opposingedges of the body ends, and single joint hinges each of which has oneleaf fast to said corner of the lifting-section and its other leaf fastto the matching corner of the trunk-body.

3. A trunk-body having a beveled upper rear corner and the upper edgesof its ends irregular in contour, a lifting-section having a beveledrear corner and the lower edges of its ends matched to the opposingedges of the body-ends, single joint hinges arranged to have one leaf ofeach fast to said corner of the lifting-section, the other leaf beingfast to the matching corner of the trunk-body, and a valance thatoverlaps thepartingline where said lifting section and trunk-body arehinged together. j

4. A trunk-body each end of which presents an irregular upper edge thatis horizontal a certain distance from the front, then at an obtuse anglein an upward direction and thence at an acute angle in a downwarddirection, a lifting section having the lower edges of its ends matchedto the horizontal and obtuse angle contour of the body ends, its rearbeing on a, bevel matching the rear upper corner of said body, andsingle joint hinges each of which has one leaf fast to the bevel rearcorner of the lifting section and its other leaf fast to the matchingcorner of the aforesaid body.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, atRacine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, in

the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN M. SECOR. Witnesses:

PETER BERING NELSON, WM. SMIEDING, Jr.

